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GRE vocabulary

periphrasis

nounCommon GRE wordMore P words

the use of indirect, roundabout phrasing in place of plain expression

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In a sentence

Periphrasis in a sentence

Here is an example sentence showing periphrasis in a sentence.

The contract's periphrasis turned a simple deadline into an unreadable paragraph.

Synonyms
circumlocutionverbositywordiness
Antonyms
directnessconcision

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Verbal · Text Completion

The novelist's late style is admired precisely for its blank: every superfluous phrase has been pared away, leaving prose of startling economy.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Common questions

Questions about “periphrasis”

Periphrasis (noun) means the use of indirect, roundabout phrasing in place of plain expression
Here is periphrasis used in an example sentence: "The contract's periphrasis turned a simple deadline into an unreadable paragraph."
Common synonyms for periphrasis include circumlocution, verbosity, wordiness.
Antonyms of periphrasis include directness, concision.
Periphrasis is a GRE-level vocabulary word worth knowing for the Verbal section.

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